


Running 2 U (or trying to)

by paradisel0st



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, Donghyuck sad boi, Light Angst, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Taeil dad, Touring, but he feels better!, nct are bffs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:34:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21865312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paradisel0st/pseuds/paradisel0st
Summary: Jeno and Donghyuck are happy.... even if they are thousands of miles apart. Or at least thats whats Donghyuck keeps telling himself.Or the one where Donghyuck and Jeno have been struggling to make their long distance relationship work while Donghyuck's on tour.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Lee Jeno
Comments: 4
Kudos: 67
Collections: DreamXmas 2019





	Running 2 U (or trying to)

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhh @doiebot i really hope you like it and that i gave your prompt justice!! :") <3333 Happy holidays!!!

The stage lights dim and the thousands upon thousands of fans in the audience still cheer as loud as they can for the group before them, but Donghyuck has only one person running through his mind. 

Jeno.

He just about runs from the stage after their encore performance toward the dressing room, and takes a seat in the makeup chair near the desk that his phone is on. 

Donghyuck pulls his phone out of the charger and starts to scroll through his notifications in record speed.

He had dozens of missed messages, but a few stood out in particular. 

2 Missed call from “jeno ♥ ”  
1 missed message from “jeno ♥”  
“Goodnight baby, get some rest ( ˘ ³˘)♥”

Fuck. Donghyuck missed him again. 

Jeno and Donghyuck are happy.... even if they are thousands of miles apart. Or at least thats whats Donghyuck keeps telling himself. 

Donghyuck and Jeno have been trying for weeks to work around their crazy ass schedules and obscenely far apart time zones to no avail. The last time Hyuck recalls hearing his boyfriends voice was about two weeks ago for a 3 minute phone call before Jenos MC job at inkigayo. 

It's hard to be in a relationship when they are as busy as they are, and it's even harder when they're so far apart. Even though their schedules have always been pushing and pulling them apart, they have always lived nearby, and could always come over to each others dorms whenever they pleased. 

The only time they were this far apart for so long was when Donghyuck broke his leg, but even then they called everyday, and sometimes Donghyuck would even visit the dorms. 

Donghyuck knows that with a busy schedule on both their parts, and the timezones to match, things were bound to get difficult. But he didn't think they would be this difficult. 

To be completely honest, Donghyuck isn’t fairing off too well. He is a creature of affection, whether it be through facetime smooches or real life cuddling. He needs to see Jeno to feel at ease. 

And as sweet as Jeno has been with these goodnight and good morning texts, it isn't enough. And what hurts him the most is that this distance he feels is starting to feel more emotional than physical. 

They’ve been fighting recently too. Distance doesn't just make the heart grow fonder. It makes the heart turn bitter too, slowly but surely making its way to the core of every text conversation they manage to find the time to have. 

Donghyuck instigates. He can't help it. He wants to see Jeno, feel Jeno, wrap his arms around Jeno and make a home inside of Jeno’s arms as well. But he can't, and he’s frustrated, and so he takes it out on Jeno in one worded texts and messages left on read. 

Jeno’s a trooper and manages to either let it go, or keep the conversation going despite the lack of interest that Donghyuck puts forth. 

He’s only ever got short with Donghyuck once, and that was pretty recent, which makes it even more scary. 

Donghyuck has always been so confident in his relationship with Jeno, but he isn't so confident of himself anymore.

Donghyuck brings his palms up to his eyes and presses in, trying to push back the hot tears that threaten to fall down his face. 

He vaguely hears his members laughter and some of their voices echoing through the halls outside the door to the dressing room, and tries to get himself together before the rest of the group enters the room. 

Donghyuck is at the end of his fifth deep breath as the other members of the group walk into the dressing room.

“Hey Hyuck” Johnny smirks at Donghyuck, “did you get to talk to lover boy” he says while wiggling his eyebrows.

“Haha very funny Johnny” Doyoung says behind him with a roll of his eyes at the same time that Taeyong says lightly from the back “don't tease the boy!”

Donghyuck doesn't find it funny either. But he turns around in his chair facing his friend and laughs anyway. It's not his friend’s fault that the universe was against his relationship with Jeno. 

“Nah, missed him again.” Donghyuck tries to make it sound like a joke, like missing Jeno’s call didn't hurt as much as it did, but Donghyuck was never a good liar. 

“Damn, that's like the 10th time in a row or something” Jaehyun mumbles as he plops down on the sofa across from where Donghyuck was sitting. 

“Yeah, luck just isn't in our favor recently” Donghyuck tries to laugh it off again, but it's hard. Laughing off loneliness and insecurity in the place that's supposed to make him feel the most safe and secure is harder than it looks. And before he knows it, his face betrays the front he tries putting on and his smile morphs into a slight grimace. 

Taeil silently walks up behind Donghyuck and squeezes Donghyuk’s shoulders while sighing.

“I know it's been tough Hyuck, but you guys are tough too. Way tougher than the distance thats trying to keep you apart. I'm always rooting for you”.

Donghyuck shuts his eyes, willing away the second round of tears that threatened to spill from his eyes tonight.

Taeil always knew when something was wrong, and he always knew exactly what to say. Maybe it comes with the territory of experience and getting older. 

Or maybe Taeil’s just really good at looking out for Donghyuck. 

Donghyuck needs someone to look out for him. Especially in times like this.

“Thanks man” Donghyuck whispers. 

\--------

“Hey babe!! It's around 10pm over here so maybe 5 am your time? Everyone at the dorms are already holed up in Jaemins room binging Netflix series. Of course, Im binge watching too, just took a break to say hi. Did you know they put Haikyuu on Netflix? And even more important, did you know that Chenle never watched it!!!!! I know, unforgivable. Its okay though, that's what we’re watching know. He’s not at the dorms though, just google hangout….. If you have time, maybe we can all go on google hangout at some point and watch a couple of minutes together?... no pressure though of course….. Have you guys made it to Los Angeles? I heard it's beautiful there but the traffic is crazy!!! I bet that’ll drive you crazy if it hasn't already. Now that you’ll have all that extra time in the car, maybe you’ll even be able to beat me in 8-ball [chuckles] but I doubt it. Practice can only take you so far when you’re against a pro like meee!! Anyway, have you been eating all your meals? Don't skip them. Even if you’re tired. And drink lots of water!!! Please be well and stay healthy Hyuck. Wish I was there with you now, but there's only a couple of weeks left anyway and then you’ll come back and we can get ready to promote as Dream again!! Cant wait to see you babe. It's been too long.... Love you”

Donghyuck has been listening to Jeno’s voice message on loop for about an hour and a half now. 

He’s in bed, tour just ended for San Jose and he should be in LA in about two days. He wonders about what Jeno said about traffic in LA and how mind numbingly painful that experience is gonna be. 

Jeno knew that they were going to LA soon, and probably looked over Donghyuck’s schedule too. But time zones can be funky, and days can seem really far apart. 

Sometimes it doesn't even feel like you’re in the same timeline anymore let alone time zones. 

But this helps. Hearing Jeno’s voice helps. 

Donghyuck had the idea of leaving each other voicemail’s after the conversation he had with Taeil. Taeil’s words played over and over in Donghyuk’s head and he begun to wonder; are they really strong, or is it just Jeno whose strong? 

Donghyuck trusts in his and Jeno’s relationship. But he realized that Jeno has been pulling all the weight recently and all Donghyuck has been doing is sulking and getting angry. Jeno must be hurting a lot too. And the fact that Donghyuck has been so focused on how this distance makes himself feel hasn't sat well with him at all. 

So he leaves Jeno a voicemail. He apologized for being so distant and tells him that hearing his voice will be enough. It has to be enough for now. Just hearing his voice is all Donghyuck needs to feel safe, and to go to bed at night well rested. He asks about Jeno’s day, what he’s been up to, what food he ate for lunch, if he’s written anything lately, really just asks as much as he can about Jeno before he has to hang up and go to sleep.

He woke up the next day to a voicemail left from Jeno answering all his questions, and asking some questions of his own. They’ve been having this long conversation of pauses and flooding of words for about a week and a half, and to be honest, Donghyuck is okay. 

He’s not completely content. He won't be completely content until he’s back in Jeno’s arms. Feeling his presence surround him, not just through the speakers of his phone. And that's just the way it is. 

But, the warm tone of Jenos voice. The care and love he puts into every word. The promises of google hangouts and making time and being with friends. Promises that would be impossible to keep, with the way their schedules are now, but sound so beautiful coming from him regardless. It’s more than Donghyuck had thought possible.

What had seemed impossible just weeks before, seems so utterly simple now. 

He finally feels safe and secure again, just as he always has with Jeno.

**Author's Note:**

> sooooo its kind of a happy ending right? idk how to end it just know theyre very happy and go to sleep hearing each others voices and make it work because they love each other lots <333 anywayssss! angst is not my strong suit :") so i hope it didnt come of to weird?? please comment what yall think!! Happy Holidays!!


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